Difference between revisions of "Metastable Atom"
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Metastable Atom
</dt>
An atom
with an electron excited to an energy
level where simple radiation is forbidden and thus the atom is momentarily
stable. See forbidden
line.
</dd>
The presence of these metastable atoms in a discharge is the cause of
several anomalous effects since in essence they are storing energy which can
be released to other particles upon collision. The Penning
effect is a result of the presence of metastable atoms. [[/a>|/a>
]]
References
This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use
